It feels as if every time I make a crack in her defenses, she’s quick to slam the guard back up. Like she doesn’t want to like me. Tanner said she only met Amelia the once so I can’t figure out why Tara is so salty about me allegedly breaking them up. Let’s say it is all my fault, why does that make her hate me?

Amelia is nice, but she’s not so nice that I should be treated as the bitch by comparison.

But, I am nothing if not determined to make Tara like me.

“I’m really glad you came down early. I’ve been dying to meet you. Tanner talks about you so fondly.”

No response just a polite nod.

“Anyway, I’m glad. I’m crazy about him and I know things are new, but—”

“Look, Sydney,” she interrupts. “I know that you and my brother are close and I get why you’d get together when he’s single again and it’s just the two of you alone at the lake, but you don’t have to pretend that it’s more than what it is. I know Tanner. He bounces from girl to girl, and he’s out at the first sign of trouble. You two have sort of a pattern, picking up every time he’s single. The point is, we don’t have to act like you two are more than fuck buddies.”

A shocked squeak is all I’m capable of before she stops outside of the physical therapy office. I get the first semi-genuine smile since I’ve met her as she says, “Pick you up in an hour?”

“She sounds like a bitch.” Emily’s indignant tone is everything I could want in a best friend. Especially one I kept in the dark about Tanner and me until five minutes ago. Regardless, she always has my back and is ready to make me feel better about anyone who does me wrong. Unfortunately, right now, I don’t want to hate on the person who made me feel like shit.

“The thing is, I don’t think she is. She’s nice to everyone else, and there are these moments where she lets her guard down and I feel like we could be friends.” I sit on the dock near the water’s edge. “Or at least civil. I can’t believe she called me his fuck buddy.”

“What does Tanner say?” I glance up at the house where he’s grilling while Tara and Corinne sit at the outdoor table drinking and chatting.

“Not much. It’s his sister, Em, what am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, but do not let her treat you like shit. I’ll be there in a few days and I’ll happily tell her to go fuck herself if she hasn’t come over to the bright side by then.”

“The bright side?”